The Universe: Season 4

Using stunning HD graphics, The Universe returns in Season 4 to transport viewers past the wonders of our own solar system and out to the bizarre far-flung reaches of the cosmos.

From death stars to ringed planets, star clusters to space wars, The Universe uses new discoveries and more advanced CGI to help explain the mysteries of outer space.

From wormholes to transporters, examine which elements from popular sci-fi movies could really exist; and discover how the universe is awash in all sorts of strange liquids, from oceans of methane to blobs of alcohol floating in space, and even iron rain.

Watch and marvel as experts cook up ten ways to destroy the Earth, including blowing it up with anti-matter, hurling it into the Sun, and colliding with another galaxy.

Watch the full documentary now (playlist - 8 hours)

1. Death Stars. Real life "death stars" that are far worse than the one in Star Wars such as supernovas that unleash massive gamma-ray bursts (GRB) that could eradicate all life for thousands of light years; a look at "WR104", a dying star 8000 light years away that could point a GRB right at Earth, and "3C321", a "death star galaxy" that could be a terrifying vision of what may befall the Milky Way galaxy. Eta Carinae and Betelgeuse are given as examples of stars that could have violent ends that are too close for comfort.

2. The Day the Moon Was Gone. The importance of our moon and what the Earth would be like without one, such as a four hours of sunlight, pitch-black nights, 100 MPH winds spawning massive hurricanes, wild fluctuating climate changes as the planet topples on its axis, and the end of complex life forms – including humans.

3. It Fell From Space. Some of the thousands of objects, both natural and man made, that have plummeted to Earth. From space rocks that have crashed into homes, to rocket parts that have landed on front lawns, scientists share their amazing insights into the phenomena of the cosmos from the study of this space debris.

4. Biggest Blasts. Some of the biggest explosions known, from the "Big Bang", to incredible supernova blasts, to the massive impact of the Chicxulub asteroid on the Yucatan peninsula that was believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

5. The Hunt for Ringed Planets. Planetary rings, especially those of Saturn where house-sized chunks of ice orbit at 53,000 MPH along a chaotic orbital racetrack; how the rings formed and the dangers they pose to spacecraft. Also a look at other rings around Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and possibly Mars; plus Earth's "ring" which is made of some 200 satellites in geosynchronous orbit – the only "man made ring" in the known universe.

6. 10 Ways to Destroy the Earth. Ten events experts envision, (both fun and serious), that could destroy the planet Earth – such as being swallowed up by a microscopic black hole, exploding it with antimatter, hurling it into the sun, and switching off gravity.

7. The Search for Cosmic Clusters. Star clusters; how all stars within them are formed from the same material and are approximately the same age; a look at the two kinds of clusters – "open clusters" which are young and exist in the spiral arms of the galaxy, and "globular clusters" which are old and exist in the outskirts of the galaxy and possibly as old as the universe itself.

8. Space Wars. Military concepts to weaponize space; how such systems would work and how effective would they be, such as an idea of telephone pole-sized rods that could be hurtled down from orbit. Also a look at some more fantastic weapon ideas and defenses against such weapons, such as ground base lasers.

9. Liquid Universe. Places in the solar system where it rains droplets of liquid iron even at hundreds of degrees below zero where there are oceans of liquid methane, and at the center of gas giants where pressure is so great there exists liquid metallic hydrogen.

10. Pulsars and Quasars. Pulsars – tiny objects (only a few miles across) with powerful magnetic fields that spin so fast they appear to blink on and off; and quasars – the remnant cores of ancient galaxies that are so distant from us that they may be the oldest things in the universe.

11. Science Fiction, Science Fact. Fantastic technology concepts, once mocked by physicists, that could be just over the horizon, such as teleportation, anti-gravity, and breaking the light speed barrier. Once only achieved by Hollywood, these concepts are now gaining serious attention within the scientific community.

12. Extreme Energy. The energy emitted by the universe, from powerful jets ejected by black holes, to the nuclear fury of the sun; and how the universe maintains this energy in perfect balance through the conservation of energy.

Click the episode name link untill (and if) Vlatko fixes it, that should work for ya.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/about/ Vlatko

@Doc-Fan

There is no movie emblem embedded here. Read above: Click on the links to watch the episodes.

ez2b12

I recommend episode three, It fell from Space. As usual the history channel assumes we are all scientifically challenged and spends most of its time trying to relate things to examples they think we can grasp. In this episodes its trying to show how craters can tell us about the meteorites that made them by throwing weights into the sand over- and over again. But over all its a pretty good episode with some interesting facts in it. Besides the scientist that is throwing the weights is a hottie, mmmm hmmmm.

Achems Razor

Starting to watch all, finished episode three, all three "goils"/girls, are hotties, (LOL)

TonyBeauX

I love these Universe series. Thanks so much!

ez2b12

Hey, they took the videos down I think. When you click on the links it says the video has either been moved or never existed. I just watched some of these last night, must of happened this morning. How disappointing, I was really enjoying watching these.

denish

Unfortunately, we can't find this video! Either it has been deleted, or it never existed in the first place.

SimonTheSorcerer

@Vlatko The links to the videos do not work anymore

ez2b12

Thanks Vlatko, its working again.

Reasons Voice

Links worked for me just gotta click play twice for some reason. And yes the Scientist girls in part 3 were quite pretty. I bet they are all single too. I need to head to nasa instead of the bar.

SimonTheSorcerer

Thanks its working again ccant wait to watch it

ez2b12

@ RV

Why would you think they are single. Looking like that and having the intelligence to back it up, bet they are either married or booked through sometime next year. Must be extremely dedicated to work, but men do both so I'm sure they do as well.

Dorani

Where is the part4!! it's not here is it?

Reasons Voice

@ez2b12: I think they are single because it has been prooven that more often than not women who are both very attractive and highly intelegent stay single longer. Partly due to their dedication to work but mostly because many men are intimidated by them. Just a statistical fact not random opinion.

Abdul

I am not even a Physicist and I find these docs a bit over commercialized and for layman audience.

Hedwerx

Its the constant recovering of ground that gets on my nerves.

Richard

These documentaries are great but they're so stressful! I can't watch an entire episode without taking a break. Are all american shows like this? Explosions, stressful music, threatening narrator... Everything is going to kill you! The best space documentary series so far is The Planets from BBC. Very informative, calm narrator, good tempo without getting stressful.

Taa

unnecessary repetition and special effects - if thats what you want from ur science docs, these are the stuff to watch ...

You should have a warning that its a Megavidio site. Sure, it's free --just give them your credit card number. LOL

DFDFD

SASASASA

Scienceisproof

They sum it up nicely when they recongnize the universe is in perfect order and balence. And that it started, wich means something without a doubt must have triggered its beginning, something as simple as a toothpick would not appear on my counter top without someone forming it all nice and pointed and then placing it there. Why is the Universe so different?

Creator? I think so.

tariqxl

Ok I'm not an atheist I'm agnostic the only thing certain to me is I can't believe in mans version of a god because man can't be trusted all of the time. And science sometimes suggests to me the same as it does to you, particularly M theory. But your toothpick isn't a sound analogy, all the matter that forms earth was spewed from our star as with all planets and their corresponding stars. So if earth is your toothpick it pretty much did appear out of nowhere. You may even apply that to a larger scale, the universe... For all we know a gigantic bunny rabbit is bouncing around laying universe droppings and we resulted from expanding out of a place we wouldn't want to go back to. You can't just assume, because don't know where the universe came from, that a god made. Personally I feel that if a god made us he would have realised his mistake and just as quickly unmade us we as a species are so despicable even an infinitely forgiving god would turn his back.

Asher Craig

Can You Say "Transcendence?"

dundunny1

can anyone name some good docs that don't have the over the top Explosions, stressful music, threatening narrator etc. i want to hear information and some graphics but not this silly!

any ideas

Ann Ceraldi

Then you must believe something created the creator--and created the creator of the creator--where does it end? Maybe time doesn't necessarily have a beginning.